One of our daughters just turned nine recently. I decided this year I wanted to add a spiritual dimension to our birthday celebrations, so they're not all just materialistic in nature. So here is a simple tradition we've just started.

Sometime during the actual birth-day, when it's just the family together, gather around the birthday person in a circle, holding hands, or laying hands on the birthday person. Lift up the birthday person in prayer. Thank the Lord for the past year He's given this person, and the things he/she did or accomplished over the past year. Thank the Lord for the gift of this person. Then lift up the coming year--dedicate the birthday person's new year to the Lord, asking for His protection and His guidance, giving the birthday person to the Lord for the coming year.

Of course, anyone can modify this to make it fit their religious beliefs or situation. But it felt special to be able to do this for our daughter. Anyone in the circle can add to or say a prayer. This is something I hope we start doing for all of our birthdays!